


fool for you

by warofthefoxes



Series: bm au [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Black Mirror Episode: s04e04 Hang the DJ, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 05:18:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16717219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warofthefoxes/pseuds/warofthefoxes
Summary: Renjun and Jaemin meet through the system. Jaemin wills they stay with each other forever.





	fool for you

**Author's Note:**

> black mirror s4 ep4 hang the dj au! but not as a screenplay this time!
> 
> the fic continues off from the mh fic but this could be read as a stand-alone. jaemin/renjun don't really play a big part on that. watching the episode also is (hopefully) not needed. i set up a thread [ here ](https://twitter.com/Ieekram/status/1066015777818468357?s=19=) for some things you might be curious about before reading. other renjun and jaemin pairings are mentioned throughout the story. i hope you have fun reading!

It takes one full month of seeing Mark and Donghyuck post their pairing day for Jaemin to break the question. 

“Do you think it’s about time I enroll into the system?” 

Donghyuck is not a bit amused by this inquiry. He’s over at Jaemin’s to watch a run of the new variety show that just dropped tagging Mark along with him - his best friend’s flat becoming more of their usual setting for their domestic non-date dates. He hits pause and props his head up to his palm to give Jaemin an incredulous look. “No, don’t do it. We’ve discussed this like a million times.” 

“Yeah right.” says Jaemin dryly. “But look, the system _works._ ” He emphasizes with his hand, gesturing to the couch where Donghyuck and Mark lie close with each other. “You’re cuddled up on my couch with Mark whom you met through the system not only once but twice. It actually worked for you two, should work for me just as fine.”

Donghyuck brings down the remote to the couch and straightens his body up to a sitting position to tell his dear best friend that “You are someone it won’t work to. Trust me. I don’t wanna give you that _thing_ Jaem.” Donghyuck says the words with mostly nothing but disgust Jaemin couldn’t even bring himself to understand. “Plus Mark and I would’ve found each other anyway even without the system.” 

Jaemin couldn’t muster up a reply to that besides a pout. Donghyuck and even Mark by extension have told him how they both think that he is the type of guy that doesn’t need what the system offers - him having his own way of charming people easily, he’d be wasting time going through one short relationship to another, ‘giving his heart away’ because Jaemin is just that type of guy when he loves, leaving pieces for everyone until there’s nothing left for him to grasp and call his own. The system will be shitty for him and Donghyuck and Mark are just giving him necessary precautions, a mental note to pin in his mind that Na Jaemin doesn’t have to go through that. “Just turn back the show on please.” He says with a sigh, closing off the topic.

Donghyuck puts it back as told, sighing before he goes back to lying down beside Mark. “It’ll be best for you, Jaem.”

 

The words came off empty, Donghyuck’s attempt futile as Jaemin bumps into him in the lobby the week after, the former holding a familiar white box in his arms, the catch phrase ‘Believe In The System’ written in bold Montserrat font along the rim. 

“Shit goes on.” 

Jaemin just gives him a shrug of his shoulders, heading back to his room with a sheepish smile. 

 

Jaemin carefully opens the package as soon as he gets back inside his room. There are layers of crumpled paper on top, the circular device he’s only seen a couple of times from Donghyuck’s hands lie at the center. There’s a small booklet on the side of the box - the words ‘System Coach’ printed at the front cover.

Jaemin tries to go over each page, reading the details, lingering more on the last page with an important reminder from the developers. “Any failure to conform to the rules and regulations set by the system will lead to necessary punishments from time deductions, suspensions, even dismissal from the system and all related organizations and a fine of $1,000,000.” He reads out loud, not paying that much mind into it. 

“Okay, let’s set this baby up.” Jaemin turns the device on, typing his initial passcode he was sent upon online registration. The device lights up several times as the loading percentage goes up on the screen. 

     _”Welcome to the system, Jaemin. I am your system coach available for your inquiries as you venture into the system. Please accomplish the remaining details for your system profile.”_

“Huh, you have a sweeter voice than Hyuckie’s.” He says as he fills out the questions on the screen. It doesn’t take him long to do so, the questions typical and needs not more than a sentence for an answer. He begins cleaning up the box as he waits for the device to finish loading. 

He’s walking back from his bedroom when the device lights up again, signaling a message.

     _”Your first match will be determined shortly.”_ A blink. _“You are one step closer from finding your ultimate compatible other. Have a good day, Jaemin and remember, believe in the system.”_

Jaemin just stares at it until the light goes dim before it completely goes off. 

He continues preparing for the day; his first class begins at 10, an hour and a half away from then. He gets dressed, grabs a sandwich he quickly made for breakfast, and pockets the device as he heads out. 

 

His first match comes in the middle of working on his Chrome’s extension assignment due at midnight. 

     _”We have set up your first match. You may check their brief profile on the screen. Details on where and what time are also included. If you need any help getting to the hub, the system can provide a means of transportation for you for your first night.”_

Jaemin groans at the device and at his extension assignment that he can’t seem to code the shit out at the same time, rubbing his eyes from the strain of facing his laptop for 10 hours straight. 

“Does it have to be tonight?” 

The device blinks red twice at him, bright in his dimly litted room. 

     _”The sooner you start taking your matches, the closer you’ll be able to meet your ultimate compatible other”._

Jaemin just looks at it, waiting for a follow up answer that doesn’t come. “So I guess that’s a no to rescheduling then.” He sighs, staring at his laptop screen that already went to sleep mode as he talked to his Coach. He could just not finish the assignment if he wants to but that’s what he did for the last two Mr. Min gave them from last week. Jaemin can’t make himself do it for three straight times or else he’d most likely have to drop the subject and that’s more an unlikely option so “I hope that first match understands education is important.” he says, packing his laptop and charger on his backpack before walking to his dresser to pick his outfit for the night. 

 

He arrives at the hub with 30 minutes to spare. According to his Coach, his date hasn’t arrived still so he needs to choose a table for them. He takes one of the tables off the sides, giving them a little privacy. Jaemin has had quite a few dates pre-system, so it isn’t like this was anything new. What Donghyuck was wrong about his previous dates is that Jaemin has never really given his heart away. No one was deserving of going far beyond a touch. Maybe, he hopes, the system can give him that. 

Jaemin was busy mulling over the codes he’s done tonight when someone coughs, a brief one, fake by the sounds of it at the edge of his table. 

“E-excuse .. me” 

Jaemin looks up to see a pretty boy in front of him, looking nervous by the way he’s biting the side of his cheek.

“Are you … Jaemin?” 

_Oh. Renjun, 18, blonde, wearing a white button-down with yellow polka dots all over them, paired with black trousers._

Jaemin gives Renjun a warm smile as he nods. “I am indeed Jaemin. Was my description not clear enough?” He asks. He wrote a very accurate description of how he looks tonight if he must say, details touched on. 

Renjun shakes his head repeatedly at him. “It was okay. Couldn’t miss your red knit hoodie and purple beret. I was just making sure.” He says to Jaemin taking his seat, his voice a little too soft but loud enough for him to be perfectly heard by the other. 

“You missed that ‘sweet bubblegum smile’ in your description.” Jaemin adds playfully. When Renjun doesn’t give much of a reaction, he continues with “Your description was accurate too Renjun. I feel like we’d make a good pair.” 

Renjun just sends him a tight-lipped smile as a reply, looking over to the waitresses as they arrive to fix up their set orders for the night courtesy of their Coaches. It’s silent except for the sounds of plates and utensils being placed on the table. 

Jaemin just watches Renjun from his periphery, not wanting to overwhelm him. Once the waitresses leave, Jaemin asks out of curiosity, Renjun’s actions kind of giving it away. “Is this your first time?” 

Renjun nods, turning to look at him this time. “I’m sorry -” 

“No, no don’t be.” Jaemin cuts him off with a shake of his head. He doesn’t know what Renjun should be sorry about when the night is just starting and it’s totally understandable to feel a little nervous about things like this - going on dates with strangers per say. He confides “It’s my first time too.” 

Renjun changes his stern expression to a surprised one. Jaemin lets out a chuckle at this. “You seem like you have a lot of experience in this stuff.” 

He smiles wide at that, shrugs his shoulder, “Guess I’m naturally charming.” cringing at his own words after he’s said them, earning a bright laugh from Renjun - brief and barely there but he takes it as an improvement. 

 

“Is it an appropriate time now to check our expiry?” Renjun asks as they wait for their entrees to be served. Appetizers already long gone.

Donghyuck has notified him about how long the waiting time between the serving of each course, something about the system making time for the matches to engage in conversations. He has also been told to check the expiry at the same time and as soon as possible. When he asked why it has to be soon, Donghyuck just replies with _’There’s no other way to go about it now that you’re there. Why prolong not knowing when with what’s bound to end anyways.’_ followed by a series of sighing emojis. 

Jaemin nods at Renjun as he grabs his device placed on the table. They count to three before they proceed to click the words **‘TAP TO REVEAL’** plastered on their screens at the same time. 

Their devices light up in different colors, running around the rim multiple times as the numbers roll on the screen before it slows down, the words **_‘14 days’_** in white thick font displayed on both of their screens. 

“Why didn’t they just put 2 weeks?” Renjun says after a beat. 

Jaemin is starting to feel amused at how Renjun reacts to things. “Fourteen sounds longer, maybe they wanted us to think that.” 

He can hear him mumbling under his breath something about how 2 weeks is the same amount of time he has left to finish his lab reports and send them over to the department head, which reminds Jaemin: 

“Oh, Renjun.” He starts making Renjun look up to him with doe eyes, interrupted from his little monologue. _Cute_ but Jaemin wants to get to his point head on. “I hope you don’t mind if I spend some hours later working on my deadline when we get to the uh, cabin. I just really need to be done with it.” He pleads, staring straight into Renjun’s eyes, his hands clasped together. 

Renjun breaks out into a smile, this time one that reaches his eyes. “Sure. Everybody needs to do their requirements. I don’t mind.” 

 

Which is how they both find themselves seated on the living area of their designated cabin after the system issued car has driven them to the place once they completed their dinner - Jaemin already opening up his laptop and Renjun turns the tv on to watch some alien news, some new updates on the possibility of traveling through other dimensions. 

“Is it really okay?” asks Renjun when Jaemin encouraged him to watch some tv. 

Jaemin just nods, typing away on his keyboard. “I work better with background noise.” He looks up to give Renjun a reassuring smile, taking a swift glance at the screen. “Plus I think it’s cool.” 

The room turns silent at most after that. Renjun’s alien news end at 11pm, and he leaves Jaemin to get ready for bed as the latter finishes his extension homework, which he eventually does with 15 minutes to spare. By that time, Renjun’s already in down in the sheets.

“You’re fine with this right?” Jaemin asks as soon as he’s done cleaning up and has changed into the complimentary pajamas placed for them in the bath. He’s pointing out the single bed where Renjun is already in, half of his body tucked in the sheets. He already feels half guilty making him watch his alien news alone - not exactly the kind of thing you’d want to remember from a first date. He doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable in his sleep too. 

Renjun just shrugs, bringing the blankets up to his chest as he moves deeper into the bed, the sheets almost swallowing his small frame. “It’s just sleeping.” 

 

The next time Jaemin sees Renjun - the other is already running out of their cabin, sending him a quick goodbye wave without even turning his back, leaving him with nothing but a small note by the low cocktail table in the living. Maybe Renjun thought he’d be out of the house before Jaemin even gets up from bed, the note a quick scribble that reads _‘Thank you for the nice first date, Jaemin. I’ll be back later at 6!’_ Renjun signing it off with a little drawing of a bear. “Cute.” says Jaemin to no one in the room, keeping the note in his backpack’s front pocket. He has an 8am today unfortunately. 

 

“He’s cute.” Jaemin finds himself saying again later that day to Donghyuck during their lunch meetup, having been forced to get out of his class 10 minutes early to meet him in the cafeteria, Donghyuck being too eager to hear about how Jaemin’s first date with his first match went like.

“I couldn’t say much since I spent most of my time finishing that shit Mr. Min gave us for homework when I could have used the system as an excuse for missing it.” He says annoyed. He only heard from Donghyuck that day that the professors are actually lenient for homeworks when a deadline falls on a scheduled date on the system and it’s why most college students are on it. 

“You could have asked dumbo.” says Donghyuck throwing a piece of rolled up tissue at him. 

He was growing frustrated, remembering Renjun’s little note thanking him when most of what he’s been last night if he rates it, was a bad first date. He pouts, leaving his food half unfinished, losing his appetite, and he pushes his plate to Donghyuck’s side so he can take it if he wants. “I need to make it up to him.” Emphasizing “I was a bad date.” 

Donghyucks scoffs at him. “See, this is why I said you shouldn’t have come into the system.” Jaemin continues to pout at that, stares at the note Renjun left him after fetching it from his bag’s pocket. “Just take him out on a date then. One that’s on you this time, you’re good at that right?” 

 

Jaemin comes back to the cabin after going back to his apartment to pick up some clothes and things he’s going to need for the next days, skipping in a happy beat as he scans his device up to get his entrance. Renjun is already there as he said he would be, standing by the refrigerator looking like he’s about to go over its contents, a notepad and pen on his hand. 

“We’re going on a date!” Jaemin announces as he enters. He leaves his packed bags by the foot of the bed and returns to a stunned Renjun, checking his device repeatedly for a schedule he thinks he’s missed. “We aren’t scheduled to though” says Renjun more as a question than a statement itself, voice bearing confusion. The system comes with the option of letting the Coaches set up dates for paired partners who have at least a week of expiry. Dates are adjusted and scheduled according to the each participant’s vacant times making it more convenient for both parties.

Jaemin walks over to Renjun taking his device away from him. “That’s because this is a Jaemin date and not a system one.” He clarifies pushing Renjun away from the kitchen area, dragging him to the bedroom so he can go change before Renjun stops him, turns to face him still with a confused look, arms crossed over in his chest now, bordering close to being intimidating except it comes out more as cute as Jaemin keeps his stare. 

“Okay, I was a bad date last night so let me make it up to you.” Jaemin explains, simple, quick and easy. 

Renjun still looks confused. “You weren’t though?” He offers giving up his stance as he brings his arms down to his side. “You don’t have to, Jaemin. Plus are we even allowed to do that?”

Jaemin just shakes his head repeatedly as he says no. “I know a friend who turned the date set-up setting off and they ended up having a better time. Ended up as ultimate matches on pairing day too.” 

Renjun looks half less confused now, but still as if he wants to sit this idea out. “You don’t have to make it up to me though. It’s fine. You even let me watch the news.” 

Jaemin wants to let it go if Renjun insists but he knows his mind wouldn’t let him sleep if he just gives it up. As he said, he wants to make it up to him. He didn’t even plan anything big, just something that he’s positive Renjun would like. Only sure of it as he went over to the Renjun’s system’s profile earlier during lunch when Donghyuck first came up with the idea. Something that he wasn’t supposed to have complete access to but he figured a little hack on the system to get that wouldn’t hurt.

“I want to though.” He tries again. “Please.” He pleads now, eyes blinking slow, curling the word to make it sound cuter in a way, having seen it work on Mark when Donghyuck was asking him for them to go somewhere or eat something or anything to just get his way around the older. 

Renjun groans at him, walking away to the bedroom as he mumbles repeated okay’s at Jaemin.

 

Renjun is funny when he doesn’t seem to find time to put up walls between him and Jaemin, who is almost a complete stranger. Jaemin finds this out as they arrive on the pet cafe around the central and Renjun loses himself as he gets enamored by the hamsters running on the little playpen. Jaemin figured it would be the best place when he saw ‘hamsters’ on the interests box on Renjun’s profile, having known of the place from one of his shopping trips.

They barely talked when they got there, conversations only coming short, just casual but Jaemin thinks he’s able to crack through him a little. If they’re going to spend 2 weeks together, he’s got to at least keep Renjun smiling as bright as he does when he sees the hamsters and rabbits. 

“How did you know I like hamsters?” Renjun asks after they left the pet cafe, now waiting in line for some soft serve ice cream. “Did you ask ...your coach?” 

Jaemin hasn’t thought of that, forgot for a second it was supposed to help him through these kind of things. He kind of feels shameful, just a tiny bit, making use of his future degree to get free info. He manages to nod, afraid if he speaks he’s gonna let the truth slip. 

Renjun heaves a sigh, blowing out his breath as though he’s relieved. “I was feeling weird asking my Coach earlier but now that I’m not the only one, I guess it’s fine.” he says, giving Jaemin a smile before he breathes deep again, moving forward as the line in front of them goes. 

“You asked about me?” Jaemin asks, surprised, shocked, bewildered to know Renjun did _that_ when he wasn’t in his best when they met. He feels the urge to send this news to Donghyuck with a series of crying emojis but remembers the system kept their phones away. Only means of communication can be through the device coach, linking up a maximum of 15 contacts from his phone that he can talk to during the duration of his stay in the system. The device doesn’t have its own series of emojis and sending them without won’t be exactly the same. 

Renjun nods, laughing a little as he does, kind of bashful. “I was bored in the lab.” He tells him. “The hamsters were being run on some tests that I can’t be around to watch and I didn’t have anything to do so I talked to Coach.” 

“Wait hamsters?” 

Renjun nods again, about to add something to it when - 

“You like hamsters because you experiment on them?” Jaemin asks feeling buzzed at the realization, his voice suddenly louder catching unwanted attention from the others in line. 

“It’s like I’m bringing them up as my own even though they’re from the lab.” 

Something clicks in Jaemin’s head with that - remembering how Renjun had looked with the hamsters from the pet cafe, thinking the best way he knows how to make it up to him. He grabs Renjun’s hand, dragging him away from the line, beaming as he does so, Renjun whispering loudly at him as he tries to not make a scene. 

“We’re getting you a hamster!” Jaemin tells him when they see a pet store in sight. 

Renjun stops walking, removing his hand from Jaemin’s hold. “You know we can’t do that unless I have some certification that I am allowed by the government to take -” 

“You work in the lab, has handled hamsters more than anyone here in the plaza. You’re more than qualified.” says Jaemin in confidence, grabbing Renjun’s hand again as he walks over to the direction of the pet shop. 

 

_After…_

“See, it was easy.” Jaemin brags as they walk out with a cage and one (1) hamster to bring back to their cabin. Pets aren’t prohibited as far as he knows and if it is then how would the system know anyways. 

Renjun is shaking his head as he walks behind him, looking at the hamster that’s now his. “I don’t know Jaemin, what if we get in trouble for this?” 

He stops walking to turn and talk to Renjun, give him some comfort as he’s worrying for nothing. “If we get in trouble, it wouldn’t be for this.” 

He figured it didn’t work as Renjun’s face morphed further into horror. “What do you even mean by that?” He asks, brows scrunched up, too concerned. 

Jaemin just shrugs, turns back and walks ahead. “I don’t know but it sounded cool right?” 

Jaemin feels good right now in the middle of the plaza, even walking backwards to throw a smile at Renjun walking a little behind him, small in the big open area. 

“What are you naming him?” He asks all of a sudden, getting excited at the thought. He’s never had a pet before and well, the hamster is technically Renjun’s but he thinks he could be a part owner.

Renjun doesn’t get back to him for a while, looks far off, thinking perhaps. “I was gonna go with RJ.” He finally shares.

Jaemin ‘oohs’ at it. RJ doesn’t sound bad. Is it for a pet name? He wouldn’t know but it’s cool he guesses as long as it has a name. “RJ for Renjun?” He prods as they get inside the car. Renjun seems to be thinking about it, shifts in his seat and ponders more before he replies with “Yeah, yeah it is.” 

 

The next day Jaemin wakes up to another one of Renjun’s notes. This one says _‘Thank you for last night (again). That was fun, let’s do it again next time.’_ with a ‘P.S.’ at the end before the sign that reads: ‘can you please check if RJ has still some water before you leave’; the sign after his name with a hamster now instead of a bear. Jaemin finds himself rereading the note for a couple more times, feels a flutter in his chest as he keeps the note again in his bag’s front pocket. 

He squats down to where RJ is placed in the living room, the hamster lying down cutely, its whole body stretched out, whispers a “Thank you for last night too.” 

 

He only sees Renjun for a couple of hours that night, most of it spent while both of them are asleep in bed - the boy coming home much later than his 6pm from the day before. Renjun says he had to work overtime in the lab, something about him trying to get some free time tomorrow. He sounds tired so Jaemin just lets him retire to bed, Renjun only doing so after saying goodnight to RJ. 

“Don’t worry, I already gave him food for dinner just like you said on your note here on the fridge.” Jaemin tells Renjun, waving the note up as if to prove he’s read it and done what he’s been told. 

He gets a small smile for a reply. 

“Good job.” 

That’s the last words he hears from Renjun that day so he saves them. 

 

The next day he wakes up to another note. 

 

“He said _It’s on him tonight_. What does ‘IT’ even mean?” Jaemin asks mulling over the note as he met up with Mark this time, Donghyuck was out busy with his soccer practice and he needed someone who has been in the system to hear him out. All Renjun left was a note, just like he’s had the past two days but this time he wrote something else aside from thanks. He said ‘It’s on him tonight.’ and it’s driving Jaemin crazy thinking about it. 

“You said you two turned off the date set up right?” Mark asks in the middle of eating his tacos.

Jaemin nods only to take it back after. “I turned off mine, don’t know about his but Donghyuck said the Coaches won’t set up dates unless we have both of the setting turned on.” He pauses to sip his drink, recalling Donghyuck’s story. “That happened with you right?” 

Mark blushes at the question, breaks into big smile as he says ‘Yeah’, with more air than necessary, a ‘yeah’ before Jaemin lets him talk without really listening, lets him shift the topic. He’s heard about this date more times than he’s asked before that he could retell it on his own. 

Mark finishes his story and his tacos soon, standing up as gets a text message. “Maybe he’s trying to make it up to you the same way you made it up to him. Relax Jaem, maybe you really should have listened and not got on to the system.” His parting words not really sitting right on Jaemin as he shuffles the notes Renjun has left for him the last 3 days. 

 

Jaemin gets back to the cabin a little past 6. The lights are turned on from the window in the living room so he guesses Renjun must be home, early this time, feeling his mood shifting a little to the brighter side. 

He smells something being cooked as he opens the door and confirms it as he sees Renjun by the sink wearing a character apron, chopping something. He turns to face Jaemin when he hears him coming, says “You’re back earlier than I expected.” 

He sees the table set up nicely, the utensils already placed neatly for two, and a portable stove on the middle of the table with a pot of broth already simmering, the smell enough to make Jaemin hungry. There’s even a candle lit up, taking room in the small cocktail table at the side.

 _So dinner’s on him is what he meant._ That’s nice he thinks, forgetting how much he’s stressed about it earlier, the feeling exchanged with relief instead. He hasn’t really had time to cook these days with all his deadlines coming up. _This is nice._

“Do you need any help?” He asks, walking over to where Renjun is cutting up vegetables near the sink after he’s brought his things down on the couch. 

Renjun shakes his head no. “I’m almost done but you can bring these to the table.” He says handing the plates of meat to Jaemin. 

They work in tandem from that - Renjun tells him what to do and Jaemin follows, asking question here and there about hotpot and what’s best to put in there after Renjun has called himself the hotpot expert. 

“I checked with Coach about what you can and cannot eat so I hope this is all fine.” says Renjun as they both wait for the food to cook, and Renjun moves to make the dipping sauce, simplest one as he says - combining soy sauce with a drizzle of sesame oil and chili flakes, not forgetting to ask Jaemin if he likes it spicy or not.

It’s touching. Jaemin has never felt so touched about people taking care of him before. Him and Donghyuck doesn’t share the same kind of affectionate friendship, always going more to take banters from one another, knowing they do care and look out for each other even without the grand gestures. This, Renjun, smiling up to him as he eats, asking what he wants even if it’s just to return the favor - Jaemin feels warmth in all of it. 

“So tell me when did you start cooking?” He asks and Renjun’s face brightens up as he recalls his younger cousins and how he needed to act responsible for them. The conversations rolling in as Jaemin starts to talk about his own story and even his secret soy sauce egg rice 

Jaemin continues to brag about it, tells Renjun he’d fall for him once he tastes it as a joke and Renjun laughs, his brightest one yet before he proceeds, challenging Jaemin across the table. “I gotta taste that someday.” 

Pitter-patter. 

“You gotta.” 

 

Somehow the dinners become a pattern. Cooking together and making something edible from what else is left on their fridge, being both busy with their own respective days to check and grab more from the supermarket. They get to a pattern of that - cooking, eating then talking about their days, intently listening to each other’s stories, far different from one another. Renjun still leaves notes in the morning, no longer just ‘thank you’s’ but now a variety - on the 4th day about the fried rice, on 5th some good luck note signed off with an amulet for Jaemin’s midterm later that day, on the 6th a note saying he’d be running late again and won’t be able to come join Jaemin for dinner, a sad face at the end of it. 

 

Jaemin tags along with Donghyuck during the night after leaving some food for RJ to eat before he heads out, feeling as if he’s not used to eating alone when it hasn’t been a full week since he and Renjun ate dinner together. Donghyuck’s visiting Mark in the lab tonight, taking with him some packed dinner he cooked at his apartment, making an additional one for Jaemin too upon his insistence. 

“You’re on the system but still third-wheeling on us huh?” Donghyuck pokes at him as they enter the building as he shows up some proof that he’s paired up with Mark, Jaemin as his plus one for the day. Donghyuck looks so casual in there, even greeting some of the people he comes across with who returns them with a kind smile. He sees the same logo from Renjun’s laboratory gown from one of the girls they walk pass by, wondering where in the big science building will Renjun be when -- 

“Jaemin?” 

He hears someone call from the left as they’re about to take a turn. 

It’s Renjun, wearing a pair of glasses he hasn’t seen him in before. 

Donghyuck stops from walking too, staring at Renjun standing across them, breaking his neck as he tries to put a name to the face but couldn’t. “You’re that guy.” says Donghyuck finally after much thinking. 

Jaemin exchanges looks with the two of them, confused. “You know him?” 

Donghyuck shrugs his shoulders. “He helped me find Mark before.” 

Still confused. He turns to look at Renjun, shrugging his shoulders too back at him, equally clueless.

Donghyuck smiles like he’s remembered a good memory. “During my first time here. He helped me find Mark’s lab room.” 

Renjun is shifting his feet, tapping them on the floor in some rhythm as Jaemin tries to absorb how small their world is, going at it to Donghyuck. 

Renjun is pointing his thumb to the other side telling them “I’m heading back now?” Shifts, looks at Jaemin. “I’ll see you later?” 

Jaemin stares, taking him a beat before he’s scurrying over the bag of food Donghyuck has on his hand, grabbing Donghyuck’s packed dinner for him before he waves the other off, tells him to say hi to Mark for him before he heads to Renjun’s direction, catching up to him. “I’ll come with you if you don’t mind.” 

 

Renjun’s workroom is by the end of the hallway. He’s working alone for the night he tells Jaemin when they get inside, him being assigned to finish some things up which involve a lot of waiting. There are series of machines Jaemin sees for the first time, computers on for some analyses that he thinks he’s read before from the catalogs - the system wired up to the hamsters on what reads as examination room, a clear glass box where 2 hamsters are currently on the run. 

“It’s the 375th trial for transferring consciousness into cloud boxes.” says Renjun, setting up a blanket fort on open floor space on the other side, looking like he’s done it before. 

Jaemin nods, he’s heard of it before - the future of humanity and all the dreams for living till the end of the world. He walks over to the fort as Renjun calls him, dropping his bag down, placing the box of food he’s been holding. He opens it up revealing a set of Japanese food tray Donghyuck was going for this time. 

“You cooked this?” Renjun asks as he picks up the chopsticks, only a single pair for them to share. 

“Nah, Donghyuck made this.” He says. “If I did it, it would’ve been prettier.” Jaemin adds, watching Renjun as he takes a piece of the rolls, gauging his reaction. 

Renjun takes his time chewing the food, and more time trying to come up with a comment. “Don’t think you can top this though” he says, picking up another roll to give to Jaemin this time, chopsticks up in front of him to take. Renjun could be a little surprising at times, he’s observed.

Jaemin opens his mouth to take it, chews with a pout that Renjun just laughs at as he continues to dig in to the little food box they have. “You still haven’t cooked me that fried rice you’re so proud about. I’m thinking you’re just lying to me about it.” 

Jaemin stuttering as he defends himself from him. 

They eat the rest of the food box, passing on the single pair of chopsticks with one another as they go over through their days as their usual dinner talk, only in a different setting this time, colder, the walls white and with machines whirring as it tries to take everything from memory. 

“You should go before it gets late.” Renjun tells him as they finish, moving over to check the progress of the hamsters, sighing his head as he does, looking over the clock. 

“I’ll wait for you.” Jaemin issues more as an announcement than an offer. There really isn’t much for him to do back in the cabin, his midterm has passed and the next one wouldn’t be until next week and if he’s honest, he’d rather stay here even if all he could do is watch Renjun work or watch the numbers roll in on the screen even if he doesn’t understand them, even if he’s just there to keep him company. 

Renjun doesn’t say anything and Jaemin fears he might open the door and make him go out but he only changes up the light, dims it more like he’s going to sleep. “Well, if you’re staying, I’m taking a nap so wake me up when anything happens.” 

“Are you serious?” he asks shocked, still trying to figure out Renjun and his words. He doesn’t know what to make of them yet. 

Renjun giggles, tapping his side for Jaemin to come over and sit with him. “No? I’m not that irresponsible.” 

Jaemin does so, drags his feets in stomps, acting childish. “You’re playing with me.” he accuses the other as he sits down. 

“I’m not. I’m sleepy so tell me something to keep me up.” says Renjun as he begins to yawn, proving his words. 

Jaemin tries to get comfortable on the floor, using his bag to prop himself up as he stretches out his legs facing Renjun cross-seated beside him. “What do you want to know?” 

“Anything you want me to know.” 

So Jaemin tells him about his dreams, the ones he gets when he’s asleep. He’s read before that the dreams are the answers to the reality one is on. He remembers countryside, the smell of dirt on his feet, he remembers a grey car moving in across his house, something that looked like it came from a not so distant past. He remembers yellow pullovers, dandelion, skating in the iced lake, laughing together, someone is with him in these images, someone he can’t seem to put a name to. He remembers these in fragments, like a memory from a life he’s lived before, from some time ago where another him was alive. 

“Do you believe in reincarnation?” He asks after he’s done. Renjun is looking at him intently but without judgement, just listening to whatever he says. 

“I think that’s why I’m here.” 

The world slows for them inside the lab. Renjun begins telling him something else, about the progress of this project, and how he thinks they’re almost there in the goal, boxing consciousness and all its glory. 

They talk for another hour, long enough that the machine signals its end of process - printing the results for Renjun’s higher-ups to analyze come morning. They continue to talk as they head out of the science building, they talk as they walk their way back to the cabin, and as they get ready for bed, and finally as they lie together in bed, a little closer to each other than the past few nights, as their eyes get heavier, the night passing faster than they realize. Jaemin brings out his device and places it on the bedside table - it reads 7 days 12 hours and 4 minutes on the screen. He falls asleep even before it completely dims. 

 

On their 2nd to the last day, they head out for a trekking day trip. It was something that was recommended to them by the system’s Coaches as they asked for recommendations while they were eating their late dinner. 

“What do you suggest Coach?” Renjun asks over as they were discussing back and forth on the best way they could possibly end their first match in the system. 

The device loads, blinks twice as if finishes, announcing: 

     _”There’s a trekking site nearby that you can go to tomorrow.”_

Jaemin laughs, a bit too cheery at that. “What made you think we like trekking?” He says almost offensively. 

     _”You asked for a suggestion and that is what the system gives. We cannot disclose any more information aside from that but as everything in the system, it has a reason.”_

“Okay?” says Jaemin, looking up to Renjun, the other shrugging his shoulders at him, reading it as ‘we probably shouldn’t ask more’ - he thinks he’s getting better at that, knowing what Renjun means after cracking down his walls. He like to think he’s gotten better in a short span of time. 

 

They go out to do the trek the next day, not having any other options. 

Jaemin doesn’t think it’s half bad when they get there. The way to the mountain welcomes them with dried leaves in varying shades of scarlet alongside different rock formations in the early autumn, pretty in the daylight. There were a few others aside from them, most of them in pairs just like they are and they set off together, exchanging polite bows at one another. Maybe the trek is a famous system thing, Jaemin thinks as they walk up. 

It takes them about three hours to get to the top. Only stopping once to rest for a bit in one of the temples, hydrating themselves. It’s a bit chiller at the top. The view showcases all of their little city and what it has to offer. They could see the hub where they met from, their time already coming shorter and shorter as the day goes by. 

Jaemin thinks about what he’d be doing now if he weren’t in the system, if he were good at listening and following through Donghyuck’s instructions. Renjun is at his side, taking in the sunset from this view they don’t get everyday and he’d like to tell Donghyuck it isn’t such a bad thing for him. At the very most, it gave him Renjun. 

 

Their end falls on Jaemin’s midterm and he’s bummed by it. The time counting down their last hour when he gets back to the cabin. 

“So…” Renjun starts as he packs his things. Jaemin tries to does so, but not half minding if he’s worn the shirt or not, busy looking over at Renjun.   
“I’m taking RJ right?” he asks Jaemin, his voice sounding more like the time they first met, soft and careful to Jaemin’s ears. 

Jaemin nods at Renjun, forgoing his packing to meet RJ one more time, mumbling at how he’s going to miss his cute then to Renjun to tell him to not to forget to feed RJ even when he’s got other matches. Renjun laughs at him, his heart thumps to the sound of that. 

They walk out of their cabin after finishing up their packing. Renjun walks out first, Jaemin follows him after closing the door, holding RJ’s cage with his free hand. 

He stands close to Renjun as they both take a look at their cabin. There’s a grueling feeling inside Jaemin’s chest as he does, some of Donghyuck’s words ringing in his head, making it thrum. 

“I didn’t know this would be weird.” says Renjun, turning to look at Jaemin, taking the cage from him. 

He feels weird too and maybe he wants to laugh at it and to whoever thought of this system - of pairing up only to end after some designated time like it’s only just and reasonable enough because it would help build up data and in data, everyone can find their ultimate matches to spend the rest of their lives with as the system promises. 

Their device ring at the same time, the word **‘END’** flash on their screens in an ugly white bold font, signaling the ultimatum of their shared time in the system, unless they get back together like Mark and Donghyuck did. Jaemin has searched up the possibilities. He was bored, still an hour away from his next lecture so he took up the chance and asked his Coach that time. 

     _”Unless there is a very great reason for the system to hook up previously paired individuals, it is highly unlikely to. It won’t do so if the data gathered from previously existing relationship was enough.”_

They share one short awkward hug before they separate ways, walking over to the 2 different cars that’ll take them away to their little cabin and back to their places.

Jaemin’s last words to Renjun was a short, “So… see you later?”, hopeful and yet sad in the way he said them. 

 

Jaemin heads back to his place feeling the grueling emptiness in his lonely flat as soon as he presses in his code and enters the dark room, considering that maybe getting a roommate was the better choice after all when he first moved in for the semester. He brings down his bag and lays on the couch for a moment, not realizing he’s falling asleep in it, his exhaustion catching up to him. 

 

He wakes up to the sun hitting to his face from the big window in his living area, forgetting to turn on the blinds before retiring on the couch the night before. He gets up, groggily checking the time. He heads over to the kitchen and grabs the piece of apple he’s left there from the last time he was back in his flat, wishing it hasn’t gone bad while he was away. 

Today he doesn’t get a morning note but he gets a message from Donghyuck asking if he’s free to meetup later. He lets the message sit as he moves to take a shower, grabbing his bag on his way to his room. 

He opens it up and gets greeted by a stuffed toy he’s seen Renjun brought in the second day in the cabin, the thing clean white and smells like Renjun. Not that Jaemin smelled Renjun to be able to tell that but its scent is reminiscent of the boy. 

“Did I accidentally grab this?” Jaemin wonders, holding up the stuffed toy up to his face, inspecting and trying to remember if he did. “I remember him saying he sleeps better when this thing is around.” he says, walking back to the couch where he threw his device away earlier. 

He opens it up, clicks before he proceeds to ask. “Connect me to Renjun.” 

The device whirs, signals its load as it searches up Renjun in the system.

     _”Sorry. The system cannot connect you to people outside of your contacts. Do you wish to connect to somebody else?”_

“Ah.” He breathes out, remembering the contacts rule. “But I gotta send a heads-up to him.” The science department only lets in people who are connected to any of the students and employees on it and now that he and Renjun are no longer paired, he doesn’t have a way in. 

He lets the idea sit first as he goes over to take his shower, trying to come up with a way to get to Renjun because he needs to give him his stuffed toy back. He _needs_ to exactly because of that reason and nothing else or at least that’s what he tries to tell himself as he washes off the shampoo that’s gotten into his right eye, almost blinding himself while he was lost in thought. 

He gets an idea to hack into the system to connect to him. He’s heard from people in his major that the programming codes of the device is tricky but Jaemin thinks it’s worth a shot. He owes Renjun that much. 

He lets the idea boil really, tries to think of other options until he reaches the end of his last class ending up with nothing. 

His device _pings_ in his pocket, a bright aqua blue light flashes repeatedly. He opens it up. 

     _”You have a new match.”_

“Already?” 

     _”Indeed. There is no time to waste in the system.”_

He gets a thought at that, deciding on his little plan. “I should do it then.” He says, turning the device off as he makes his way to the university library, taking the seat farthest away from the center where most people are. 

He takes out his laptop and hooks up the device again like he did that one time in the cafeteria with Donghyuck watching him as he tries to crack into Renjun’s profile. He spends minutes looking over the codes, the minutes stretching out to an hour to hours, him missing his supposed meeting with Donghyuck for that day which he should feel an ounce of guilt over, until he somehow, miraculously, gets in, the librarian already coming up to him to tell him they’re closing for the night. 

He unhooks his device, closes off his laptop and stacks it back to his bag, fixing up the stuffed toy so it doesn’t get squished inside before he runs off with a triumphant smile. 

 

Jaemin almost falls off the ground when he sees Renjun right in front of the science building after sending him a quick voice mail to meet him there in 20. He takes out the stuffed toy out of his bag and hides it from behind his back as he walks closer to meet him halfway.

“How did you even contact me?” says Renjun when they’re close enough to hear each other. It doesn’t sound accusatory, if Jaemin wills, he thinks it sounded positive, glad even. 

He bites the side of his cheek, tries to suppress a grin that’s trying to come out. “I just asked Coach and maybe did _something_ to get to it.” He tells him with a shrug as if he didn’t work hours trying to get in. He doesn’t know until when the system will catch up to what he’s done but he hopes it’s enough for him to get the stuffed toy back to Renjun. 

Renjun seems to have let Jaemin’s means go as he tries to take a peek at what Jaemin is hiding behind his back. “What did you exactly have for me?” he asks. 

Jaemin stretches out his hand, brings up the stuffed toy to Renjun’s face, his reaction not meeting up what Jaemin expected for it to be. He expects them to maybe tumble out in joy, maybe throw a hug to Jaemin’s way this time not an awkward one, and be filled with relief, tell him ‘I’ve been looking for it everywhere’ in Renjun’s slightly high pitched voice. Instead, Renjun just stares at the toy then back at him, his face blank. 

“This is yours right?” Jaemin asks now bringing the stuffed toy back down to his side. 

Renjun nods. “I put it in your bag though.” he adds after a while taking Jaemin by surprise. _So he didn’t grab it then_ , he feels relief at that, not wanting to be accused of something as taking a cute toy that isn’t his, then the relief turns into confusion as he wonder why would Renjun give him that. 

“I had RJ to take home with me. I figured you should get to take something with you too.” Renjun says after the long stretched out silence from Jaemin. Renjun takes a look at his clock, grinds his teeth together before he tells Jaemin he needs to be back inside now. 

Jaemin finally reacts, gives Renjun a smile before he sends him off, calls him one more time to ask him “We can still talk right?”, his voice loud in the dark night. Renjun looks back and gives him an ‘Okay’ sign. He watches him go, only leaving once he sees Renjun has made it back inside. 

 

Jaemin’s next match is someone older than him this time but not by much. Jungwoo is 20 years old and speaks even softer than Renjun during their first night. He and Jungwoo match well, which he finds himself relaying to Renjun once he’s on his and Jungwoo’s cabin - its interior similar to the one he and Renjun had. The system still hasn’t caught up to his bug apparently, his connection to Renjun still fine. 

“It’s only for 36 hours.” he tells Renjun as he goes over his assignment one last time. His matches seem to come at a deadline but for once Jaemin has finished it with hours to spare. He hears shuffling from the other line, Renjun seems to be moving. It takes him a minute before he hears Renjun’s voice again “Weird, but I got 36 hours too.” 

Jaemin brings his device down to the table to fix some stuff up on the codes for his assignment. “How’s it going?” he asks as Jungwoo returns from the bathroom. He’s already told him he’s going to be talking to a friend, Jungwoo didn’t seem to mind, just gave him a quick thumbs up. 

Renjun sounds like he’s mulling over the question. “It’s okay I guess?” He says at first before Jaemin tells him to expound on it. “Yangyang’s fine but I don’t think I have to think much about it when we’re going to separate the day after tomorrow.” 

_Right._ Jaemin thinks so he moves to his next question and asks Renjun about his day like they do post dinner except now just over the phone. 

Renjun tells him about how RJ is and how he thinks he isn’t just any other hamster, he even shares to Jaemin the alien news for today and how Yangyang had let him watch this time too. Jaemin goes over about his day and brags about him finishing his homework early which Renjun accuses him about during their first night jokingly when Jaemin had spent much of their first hours doing it. 

“You make it seem like you didn’t want to spend time with me at first.” 

And Jaemin replies to him with “That’s not it. Really.” because it really isn’t anything like that. Time passing by fast that he doesn’t even realize Jungwoo already headed to sleep. 

 

They ended up seeing each other again after a few days. Jaemin’s pretty sure meeting up with your previous matches on purpose is one thing that’s under the ‘Not Recommended’ list in the system booklet but it’s not like they were seeing each other on purpose. Jaemin just headed to Renjun’s dorm with Sicheng, his current match and apparently Renjun’s dorm mate and best friend.

“I can’t believe the system set you two up!” Renjun’s first words to them as they entered, Renjun on his day off and already getting ready to go out to meet his next match in the hub.   
He looks at Renjun with amusement. It hasn’t been a full week yet since they last saw each other and they talk over the device everyday since but Jaemin missed this, seeing Renjun’s face morphed into various reactions. Maybe way too much than he’s supposed to. 

“They might be playing with you.” Sicheng offers, walking to his room to pack his stuff leaving the two of them alone with RJ in the living room. 

He walks over to RJ and fills his bowl with food himself, asking Renjun where to get it. Renjun instructs him as he sits by the couch. He finds him with his device on his hands as he returns from the kitchen. 

Renjun turns the device on, his face set in concentration. “Are you playing with us?” He asks seriously.

The device runs its usual light again, replying with: 

     _”Please specify us.”_

Renjun groans. Jaemin laughs as he watches. 

“Me and Na Jaemin.” He clarifies to the system, pronouncing the words hard and clear. 

The device lights up again before it stops. 

     _”The system cannot understand your inquiry. Everything in it happens for a reason. --”_

The rest of its reply a systematized answer leading to proofs on how it has a 99.8% compatibility rate. Renjun just groans again, turning the device off. Jaemin joins him in the couch, chuckles and tells him to relax, might be pure coincidences.

They head out with Sicheng after an hour, Jaemin and Sicheng on their way to their shared cabin and Renjun back to the hub to meet his new match. 

 

They end up seeing each other more often the next two months than Jaemin thought they would when they separated - them having the same expiry again for the 2nd time post being each other’s matches. 

Renjun calls him the night of his first day with Sicheng to tell him about his new match - Lucas, a year older than them, and is tall, _very_ tall, huge tall much to Renjun’s dismay as he rants over to Jaemin because he can’t be that small. Jaemin playing with him as he makes Renjun aware that he’s small even beside him, how much more with a 6-footer giant. 

 

Jaemin hears more about Lucas in the days that follow. Renjun tells him that they turned on the date options this time. He shares to him about their water sports adventure - Lucas being an active outdoor type of guy and part of the university rowing team(‘Not surprising’ Jaemin interrupts Renjun when he told him so, the boy just shushing him), he talks about their time in the aquarium and how they got to try some foot fish spa (Jaemin interrupting again to talk about how it seems their dates have the common theme of water, even proposing ‘Maybe he saved you from drowning in another life.’ Renjun not denying it but asks him why can’t he be the one to save Lucas instead; and Jaemin finds himself wishing he never brought it up in the first place.) 

He gives Renjun stories about him and Sicheng’s dates too. He’s made his life easier by turning the dates options on too with the two of them being both busy to think of any dates. He shares to him about the play they watched together. He remembers the time fondly, it was the first time he and Sicheng actually talked longer than borderline casual talks, Renjun saying he’s glad about it, Sicheng likes it when he gets to meet someone whom he can talk about these kind of things. Jaemin also tells him about their time in skating rink and how it came out as a natural thing for the both of them when he can’t even remember the last time he skated. 

 

His time with Sicheng is fun. He tells Donghyuck this when they met up again in the cafeteria after one of his later lectures and Donghyuck isn’t with Mark or in the fields for practice. 

“I’m glad. You don’t seem to be doing so bad.” says Donghyuck over bagels and coffee. 

Jaemin smirks, thinking about Donghyuck being so adamant that he shouldn’t get into the system. “Your faith in me is so low. Why are you even my best friend?” 

Donghyuck protests, hand on his chest dramatically telling Jaemin he has a reason because he’s dumb 7 out of 10 times. 

And Jaemin tries to swallow his initial thoughts concerning his time in the system, about how sometimes he can’t help but to see Renjun in Sicheng - in the way they’re both soft but also rough on the edges, and how when Sicheng laughs, Jaemin can pretend it’s Renjun with him all along. Maybe that’s why they’re best friends, he thinks then gets scared at the thought because he doesn’t think him and Donghyuck resemble each other in a way and if they do, does Mark see that? Scary. Maybe Renjun and Sicheng aren’t that much alike. Maybe it’s just his mind losing its sense of differentiation now that they’re about to head to hell week. Maybe it’s just him after all. 

“You’re lucky you’re enjoying your time. When Mark and I separated, I couldn’t find myself doing so.” Donghyuck shares before they separate for the day. 

 

He bumps into Renjun one time while he’s on the way to Renjun’s and Sicheng’s flat to feed RJ. Somehow in one of their routine calls, they settled on terms where RJ’s well-being is prioritized with them being on the system still and cohabiting with different people. 

He goes up as scheduled, surprised to see said boy doing what he’s supposed to be doing.

“My class got cancelled.” Renjun says as an explanation, tapping his side again for Jaemin to take as he’s still by the door, unsure if he’s just supposed to leave now. 

He takes the seat eventually, smiling up to Renjun now. They’ve been continuously talking but he hasn’t seen him in a while. He was about to ask Renjun if he wanted the fried rice now when Renjun announces his idea. 

“Hey, what do you think about double date?” 

“Oh.” That’s something he hasn’t thought of. “Does Lucas want that?” he says, regrets that it sounded almost bitter in his ears. Why did that come out? 

Renjun shrugs, turns his face away from him. “He seems pretty cool about you.” 

_Oh._ “He knows me?” He hasn’t talked nor met Lucas before, has only heard of the infamous guy during his calls with Renjun. 

Renjun just nods. “I’ve told him about you before.” 

_Oh. Oh. Cool._

 

Which is how they find themselves with Lucas and Sicheng seated on a table in one of the restaurants in the hub, a different one than the usual booths for the first meetups with the new matches. 

They’re on semi-formal attire as directed by the Coaches who has planned all of it along, sounding a bit cheerier than usual if Jaemin would put it when he and Renjun asked about the double date. 

     _”That would be possible. The system is very much delighted to be of service. Let the Coaches do the planning and we’ll send all four of you the details.”_

“I think it’s nice that we can do this.” Lucas says over dinner. 

They’ve had their appetizers, and they’re midway to their entrees and their conversation now. Lucas is funny and interesting, Jaemin figures 30 minutes upon meeting him. There’s something about him, he guesses that’s just endearing that he makes Renjun shy in his seat, laughs a little reserved. Not that Jaemin was observing Renjun throughout the night, he just noticed. 

“What did you guys do when you were together?” Lucas asks with something that Jaemin recognizes as malice in his tone. Renjun elbows him from where he’s seated, mumbling incoherent words. Sicheng turns to take a look at him, leaving his utensils on the side of the plate.

“Us? Me and Sicheng?” 

Lucas shakes his head at him. “No! You and Injun. He won’t tell me.” Renjun shushing up the other with his hand. 

“Injun.” He repeats the word, he doesn’t know Renjun was called that. He takes a look at Renjun who has his head down and was about to ask why he never told him that but he stops himself, turns to Lucas to give him a smile. “We didn’t have a lot of time but I think we had a really good 2 weeks. I had fun at least.” 

He sees Renjun take a glance at him from his periphery and he takes the chance to look into his eyes, asks, “Was it for you Injun-ah?” 

 

His time with Sicheng ends on another deadline.

Jaemin rushes over back to the cabin to see him already packed and ready to leave, passing time in the living room as he watches a movie. Jaemin decides to join him as he does his packing too, him and Sicheng exchanging their usual commentary as the movie plays on the screen. They ended up not finishing the thing as their devices _pings!_ to notify them that they’ll have to leave the cabin in 10 minutes. 

They stand outside their cabin together, holding their bags with their hands. 

“Good luck?” Sicheng tells him as they shook hands and hug comfortably. 

In the car back to his place, Jaemin’s mind wanders to the thought that if maybe Renjun and him had 2 months and not 2 weeks, it would’ve been easier to say good-bye.

 

“It’s really you huh?” He hears Lucas from across the table inside the restaurant hub where he was on the way to meet his new match, a couple of days after he separated with Sicheng. 

He was holding out hopes that the Lucas that he’s supposed to meet isn’t the Lucas who Renjun paired up with and was on a date with that same month.That was just really like the system toying with him and he didn’t want to think that. 

“I guess it is.” He says, trying to make his smile not look like it isn’t genuine. 

They settle on the table. It’s the usual scene - the waitresses bring in their food, serve them their water and leave after. Lucas is holding his device, raising an eyebrow at him as he fiddles with the utensils on the table. “Shouldn’t we check now?” 

Jaemin nods, taking his device up, clicking the words and waits for it for it to finish its load. 

“6 months huh?” The words bright and mocking him on both of their screens. 

“6 months.” 

 

Renjun laughs when he hears this, escaping the trick and being paired with a new guy and not Sicheng like Jaemin initially thought so, even telling Renjun to let him guess before revealing who it is. 

Renjun’s with Dino, a dance major and is Mark and Lucas’ age. They’ll last for 3 months and Renjun teases him about how the system’s probably only playing with Jaemin and not him after all. All of the past things a well played mere coincidence. All of it.

That’s not what his Coach says when he asked again later at night, Lucas already fast asleep and snoring lightly in his sleep. _Everything happens for a reason._ resounding deeply through his ears. 

 

For his and Lucas’s first system date, they go to a museum opening, an invitation the system picked up due to Lucas’s donation as part of the rowing team. 

He spends the better half of their time there going over the art pieces displayed alone with Lucas being dragged off from one interview to another. Renjun hasn’t mentioned anything about this before so when Lucas finally joins him, he asks: 

“Was it like too this with you and Renjun?” 

Lucas shakes his head with a laugh. “Injun caught me in a perfect time.” The nickname pricking into Jaemin’s bones as he hears it one more time. “I’m sorry, I swear it’s not always like this!” Lucas offers as an apology and he returns it with a smile, he doesn’t mind really. 

Another reporter comes up to them and Lucas gives him one more apologetic smile as he excuses himself, leaving Jaemin in one of the more empty corners of the exhibit. 

He’s in the middle of watching some animation played in one of the center areas when he feels his device vibrate in his pocket rather violently, sending _pings!_ at an alarming rate. He moves to the side to take a look at it. 

     _”SYSTEM BUG DETECTED! SYSTEM BUG DETECTED! RECALIBRATING…”_

The device continues to blink as he watches their expiry date, the one they initially had to be 6 months roll down into 5 and into 4, the numbers running low as it stops to 2 weeks, the same expiry he had with Renjun. He panics, tries to connect with his Coach, the device failing to do so until his third try. 

“What’s happening? Why did it go down?” He asks with haste, in a shushed voice as he tries not to grab more attention that he doesn’t need. 

The device blinks twice, bright red in color. 

     _”Failure to comply to the system’s set rules will result to just punishments including cutting down of expiry. Please remember Jaemin, every action has its consequences.”_

“Oh no, no.” He groans, hand on his forehead. _Renjun_. He’s about to confirm his guess on why the recalibration happened when he hears Lucas call for his name. 

“Hey hey, did your device -” cutting himself off as he sees the words ‘2 weeks’ appear brightly on Jaemin’s device’s screen. 

“Do you have any idea why it did that?” Lucas asks with concern, going on about what if their devices had some defect and how they should probably bring it to a lab the next day. 

Jaemin just shrugs his shoulders “I don’t really know.” because he can’t let Lucas know when he hasn’t confirmed it yet. Not when he hasn’t even told his own best friend the length that he’s gone through to be able to do that. 

Lucas clicks his fingers, looks at Jaemin with wide eyes as he suggests “Maybe we were initially supposed to be for 2 weeks and the 6 months was just a glitch. I’ve never had 6 months before.” His tone convincing, even shaking Jaemin’s shoulder as he laughs. 

Jaemin laughs with him, tries to at least, “Yeah. Maybe.” 

He excuses himself and heads towards the comfort room, mumbling ‘Please let it not be that.’ repeatedly until he gets to the room and locks the door, his grip on his device tight. 

“Coach, connect to Renjun.” He says, bringing the device close to his mouth as he repeats the command. The device whirs, loads up like the usual before:

     _”We cannot find a ‘Renjun’ in your data. Are you sure you’re connecting to the right person?”_

He nods, gripping the device now with both of his hands. “Yes. I’m sure.” His voice hoarse from the scream he’s trying to suppress from coming out. 

The device loads up again, finishes but this time it rings, loud in the empty comfort room, red light blinking multiple times faster and faster as it goes. 

     _”Infidelity detected! Infidelity detected! Recalibrating…_

The numbers rolling down again from 2 weeks until it eventually stops to 1 hour, the timer going down as the seconds pass. 

He hears Lucas from outside of the door, knocking and asking him why did it go down again, calling his name and when he doesn’t respond, calls one more time to ask if he’s okay. 

He eventually comes out, feeling suddenly exhausted, weight on his shoulders, head down as he walks to meet Lucas, face full of concern. 

“I’m sorry.” That’s the only thing he says for the rest of the night and Lucas lets him, offering him a can of carbonated water as they sit by the stairs outside of the museum, the drink taste spiteful once it hits his tongue. 

Their devices vibrate in sync. 

     _”Your belongings that you’ve left in the cabin will be delivered to your respective places as soon as tomorrow morning. Have a safe trip back. Good night._

The devices vibrate again, this time the message just a word, the timer counting off their last seconds. 

“I’m sorry.” He says again and he’s thankful that Lucas doesn’t ask. 

 

Jaemin storms off to the system issued car that’ll bring him back to his place, changing up the address on the way because he needs to align his thoughts and process what’s been going on. 

He walks in on Mark and Donghyuck making out on the living room floor, big bed covers around them. Donghyuck turns to look him with Mark still latching on to him, sending pepper kisses all over the other’s face. 

“What’s up?” Donghyuck says not really looking at him as Mark brings him into another kiss. 

“I need to talk to you. Or both of you.” His voice stern and demanding making Mark and Donghyuck stop from kissing each other to take a proper look at Jaemin now, standing by the front door, hair a mess and tie all loosened up under his white knitted sweater. 

 

They move to the couch, Donghyuck offering Jaemin a cup of water before he sits with them. Jaemin takes his time breathing, trying to write the pieces off in his brain and go over how he’s going to tell what has happened that night. Donghyuck and Mark just lets him, talking to each other softly before he decides to finally speak up. Once he’s done, Donghyuck just gives him a confused look. 

“So you’re telling me you’re supposedly 6 months with Lucas ended today?” Donghyuck pauses and even before he can reply “The system recalibrated your relationship?” 

He nods, not knowing what to say more about it. That’s what exactly happened. 

“Recalibrations only happen if you’ve done something against the system’s rules right?” Mark asks, already standing up as he asks Donghyuck where he placed the device’s box, trying to scan through the booklet Jaemin once read on his first day in the system. 

“Here, it says ‘any failure to conform to the rules and regulations set by the system will lead to necessary punishments from time deductions - “ Mark looks up to him and slowly, carefully, he asks “Did you do something? Something unusual? Did you and Lucas --” 

“No, no. It’s all on me.” 

It makes Donghyuk feel all the more puzzled. “What do you mean by that?” 

And god, he doesn’t think it would lead here. He didn’t think one abrupt idea he got while he was showering would lead to whatever this mess is. All he wanted was to talk to Renjun and give him his stuffed toy back (which is his now, sitting atop in his bed at home) and now he can’t even reach him to make sure it’s only affected his and not Renjun’s time in the system.

“I may have done something.” He starts off, ducking his head low, Donghyuck prods him to continue. “Okay, I hacked into the system so I can add Renjun in my contacts but I had a really good reason.” 

“You what?!” Donghyuck is exasperated. “Wait was it the profile thing?” 

He shakes his head making Donghyuck stand up in his seat now, Mark holding him to calm him down. 

“I needed to get to him and I didn’t have any way to contact him because our relationship expired and you can’t connect to anyone that isn’t in your contact list. I swear I didn’t know they’d take so long to catch it.” 

Mark’s look on him is unreadable as he asks how long has it been and he doesn’t realize the length of time since. To him, It didn’t feel that long. “Since the day after we ended?” 

“God Jaemin, that was what 2 months ago? You only met him for two weeks.” 

2 weeks was it, he knows that but -- “He’s my friend. We’re raising a hamster together! You don’t know how it is.”

There’s a still silence in the room before “Infidelity.” Mark says out of the blue and it takes him aback. That’s what his Coach told him earlier before it recalibrated for the second time. “That’s why it deduced your time with Lucas.”

“Wait, oh shit Jaem, do you like Renjun? Are you guys having a secret relationship?” Things clicking in Donghyuck’s head like they’re making sense and Jaemin fears this, he hasn’t even let himself wander off to that point. “No. We’re not in a relationship.” He says denying the accusation. “I don’t know.” answering the first question as Donghyuck repeated it. 

“Well, you have to know.” Donghyuck tells him sounding more like command and he _knows_ he has to. “Does Renjun know about this?” 

He gives a scandalized look and before he can say something. 

“I mean the time deduction, if it’s “infidelity” shouldn’t the punishment be for both of you who are “involved”?” 

But he shouldn’t be, he thinks to himself, this was all his fault. “I can’t reach him anymore remember.” He says sighing back into the couch. This has been a long day, very very long. 

 

So the next day, Jaemin sets out a plan: he’ll leave Renjun the fuck alone. Whether if it affected Renjun’s match with Dino or not, that’s what exactly he was supposed to do after they’ve ended. It’s time he does that. He decides on this, words stern and clear, confident about pushing through with it until he sees Renjun running up to him as he was going out of his apartment’s elevator. 

 

“Why can’t I connect with you anymore?” Renjun says, smiling up to him. Maybe he is what Donghyuck calls him to be. “Something crazy happened last night, you wouldn’t --”

His device suddenly whirs, Jaemin feels it from his pocket where he’s slid it before leaving. He takes it out as Renjun stares at his hand holding the device, blaring red lights, _pings!_ loudly in the almost empty lobby. 

     _“Failure to comply with the system rules result to punishments. The punishments vary from time deductions, suspensions..._

He looks up to Jaemin, confused. “Why does it keep saying that?” 

He drags him out of the lobby and into the corner that’s hidden away from people passing by. He needs to be quick, he needs Renjun to be out of this mess already but he can’t do that without telling him the truth first now that he’s here in front of him, he can’t leave him in the dark. He deserves to know out of all people. 

“Remember how I found about the hamsters? I didn’t ask Coach about that. I did a little hack to get to your profile because I wanted to give you a proper first date.” He starts. “Remember how I connected to you even after we’ve ended, I put a bug in the system so we can talk, so I can give back the stuffed toy. I didn’t think it’ll take this long for them to catch it, you know I’m just a mere college student with a knack in programming who wanted more time with you. Your expiry with Dino recalibrated right?” He pauses long enough to confirm it as Renjun nods. “That’s because of me. They caught the bug and since we aren’t technically supposed to be connected, they treated it as an act of infidelity.” He pauses and tries to catch his breath. “This is why you shouldn’t see me anymore after this. I can’t keep messing up your matches and time in the system. I’m really really sorry for lying to you and bringing you into this because of my own intentions, I didn’t mean to I swear. You should go. Don’t come and see me.” 

Renjun looks like he’s about to laugh, standing across him with mirth in his eyes. He’s getting furious, it’s like Renjun didn’t get all of what he just said to him and how he’s bad news. “What?!” He says making him turn around to leave. 

“You’re cute when you’re overreacting.” Renjun tells him with a laugh, letting Jaemin push him to walk away. 

He finally stops pushing Renjun after that, crossing his arms across his chest to give Renjun a glare, the other still wearing a bright smile on his face. It’s unfair, he couldn’t get mad when Renjun looks like that. “I’m not overreacting. This is serious Renjun. You should go.” 

“Then what about you?” Renjun asks this time, moving past what he’s told him. He furrows his brows at that. Renjun smiles up at him again, continues “What about you? What will you do after making me leave?” 

He’s thought about this last night. The plan was to leave Renjun alone and want out of the system, face whatever he’s charged with and then write Renjun a letter explaining everything because he’s not on that level of asshole to leave Renjun clueless about everything. The letter won’t reach Renjun until after he’s out of the system but it’s worth it, he needs to know still and Jaemin will live in the comfort of that, of Renjun knowing his truth. 

“I’ll leave the system.” He says, sighing, dropping his head low. “I don’t have a reason to be in it now that I know it will not be you.” 

There’s silence for a while, the only sounds coming from the busy streets near them. When he looks up to check how Renjun reacted to that, he sees him grinning at him. 

“What makes you so sure it won’t be me?” Renjun asks, stepping forward towards him as he steps back. Renjun can’t do this to him or he might do something dumb again. 

“They won’t pair you and me again because they’re -” _ugly_ . He just thinks it wouldn’t be possible now that they’ve caught on his hack and that they’re going to make his life miserable to pay for it if they don’t kick him out because Donghyuck’s right, the system is shit! 

Renjun waits for him to continue and when he doesn’t look like he will, he speaks up again, “If you want out, then I’m out too.” stepping close to him again still with a smile. 

“No, no Renjun. You need to stay away from me. I’m … trouble.” He says avoiding Renjun’s eyes. Renjun can’t be sure about what he’s saying. He doesn’t know if he’s just playing with him as a payback but when he looks to meet him again, all he gets from his smile is comfort, something that tells him he doesn’t have to do this shit alone. 

Renjun steps closer to him once more, too close now that the top of his hair is brushing against his eyes as the boy wraps his arms around him in a hug, whispering “What will I do in the system if you’re not there?” 

 

In the end, Jaemin realizes he might have overreacted a little. 

“So what did you do?” Donghyuck asks as they meet-up for what would be a unofficial double date. 

He beams back at both Mark and Donghyuck before he begins retelling what happened after he and Renjun have decided upon going out of the system together. “Injunnie went all out! He was so cute. He in his small form and body told them fuck! the! system! With his chest out and chin up as soon as we got there.” 

“Then what did they do after?” Mark asks this time, munching on his food. 

“Oh. anti-climatic. They just ushered us out into this one board room with like a manager or something that read us a report from their data about what happened - all the hacking and stuff. They told me my sanctions blah blah blah. I told them Injun didn’t know about everything I did so he didn’t really get much action. Then they just made us pay up and sign some papers then done, free at last.” Jaemin shares, laughing now. He really didn’t think it would be that easy. 

“Apparently, lots of people actually got on to the system’s program before so it wasn’t a big deal to them.” Renjun said finally coming back with their drinks, sitting next to Jaemin who holds his hand because he can. 

He takes his drink and sips, pointing out to Donghyuck. “You should’ve listened to me when I told you do it when you were moping about Mark.” and Donghyuck just throws another rolled up tissue at him. 

 

They walk back to Renjun’s dorm room for the first time together and not for him to accompany Sicheng or to feed RJ (but also that, he thinks), but this time as Renjun’s guest. Injun’s guest, him already getting used to calling him that after whining to the other on their way back from the system’s office yesterday that Renjun didn’t tell him to use it instead of using ‘Renjun’. 

“You really didn’t get mad about what I did?” He asks when they’re already inside and as he finally _finally_ cooks his infamous fried rice for Renjun. 

Renjun just shrugs as he watches him do all the work over the countertop. “All the time when we were in the system, I kept wondering if we did everything to return the favors we owed each other but knowing you had gone the extra mile for us proved my thoughts wrong I guess and I was relieved?” 

He finishes up his fried rice in no time, most of it spent looking over at Renjun than the pan. He prepares it on a plate, taking a spoon from the drawer for them to share. “You admit I was being dumb though right?” 

Renjun just laughs, short and sweet as he says ‘of course, you are!’. His heart even thumps at that. “I think it’s good to experience things like that once in a while though. Who would’ve thought I’d go against a big system if it wasn’t for you?” He says taking the spoon from him and finally trying out the rice. 

 

 _Later:_

He’s coaxing Renjun who’s coughing from his seat holding a water bottle on his hand to deal with how salty he’s made the fried rice, messing it up for the first time since he’s done it. He cups his face and presses kisses all over his face. 

Renjun holds his hands to stop him midway. “What are you doing?” 

He just stares at his eyes and breaks into a grin, “Making it up to you.”, goes back to kissing him after Renjun allows him to. 

_Much later:_

“Jaem, I’m kissing your teeth, can you stop smiling so much?” 

 

This time, Jaemin is the one who leaves a note for Renjun to wake up to before he leaves to go back to his own apartment after telling Renjun they needed to find a new roommate for Sicheng so he can move in with him. 

Renjun sees the note the next morning as he brushes his teeth. It reads: _’Day 1 to forever’_ with hearts all over it, signed with ‘Yours, Jaemin’ at the end.

**Author's Note:**

> feedbacks are very much appreciated. [ twt](http://twitter.com/Ieekram) / [cc](http://curiouscat.me/s00nso)


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